Design Week 03 — A Short Hike Board Game Adaptation

A cooperative analog adaptation of A Short Hike, redesigned to capture the original game’s charm through exploration, discovery, and shared progression.

The goal for this week was to adapt a digital game into a fully analog experience with a physical component. Our team was assigned A Short Hike, a game known for its cozy exploration, gentle pacing, and emotional warmth. We focused on translating its tone and core loop into a tabletop format without losing its sense of discovery.

Understanding the Original Game

We identified the core loop as explore → collect → earn feathers → climb. This progression became the backbone of our analog mechanics and shaped how players would move through the board.

Minimum Viable Scenarios

• Flying and gliding
• Freedom of choice
• Climbing the mountain

Essential Ingredients

• Feather collection
• Mountain progression
• Side quests and NPC interactions
• Tools such as shovel, pickaxe, and bucket
• A sense of discovery

Concepting the Board Game

We drew inspiration from several analog systems to capture the feel of the digital game:

• Catan — modular board structure
• Snakes and Ladders — vertical progression
• Battleship — fog‑of‑war exploration

Team Vision

• A fixed board with layered elevation
• Face‑down cards placed on marked spaces
• Cards flip when passed or landed on
• 3‑player cooperative gameplay
• Completed challenges become easier to traverse
• Tunnels act as mastery shortcuts
• Players can meet anywhere to trade items
• All players must reach the summit to win

Playtesting

Our first prototype revealed several issues:

• The Miner role felt underpowered
• Tunnels weren’t being used
• The board was too small for the number of tokens

But we also saw meaningful successes:

• Players felt encouraged to explore
• Movement felt meaningful
• The emotional tone of the original game carried through
• NPC quests added humor and personality
• Teamwork emerged naturally

Improvements

After refining the board and rulebook, the second playtest revealed new issues but also clear progress.

• Rulebook required syncing
• Roles still needed balancing
• Diagrams were missing

But we also saw strong improvements:

• Movement became intuitive
• Players cooperated naturally
• NPC dialogue added personality
• Classes felt distinct

My Contributions

I contributed heavily to the visual identity of the game. I designed icons, coloured characters, and prepared the final tokens. These assets helped define the tone and readability of the board, making the experience feel cohesive and approachable.

Rulebook

Takeaway

This project taught me how to translate a digital experience into a physical one without losing its emotional core. Seeing players laugh, strategize, and explore together made the process incredibly rewarding and reinforced the power of thoughtful analog design.